Jibbsfest round one
by jibbsloversunited
Summary: Erm ... a marathon of ficage. JIBBS.
1. Introduction

Hello all ... and welcome to the first official _**JIBBSFEST.**_

Having come to the conclusion that there is not enough JIBBS ficage out there we have decided to band together and challenge each other.

The idea is for you, dear reader, to be able to kick back with a glass or wine or a cup of tea, and have a marathon of sorts.

If you are reading this at 1pm EST, I would recommend waiting an hour or so, because the stories take a while to upload.

But then again ... your choice.

The plan is to have a Jibbsfest once every 5 weeks or so.

The challenge this time was to incorporate all of the following into a oneshot.

MTAC

A pair of stockings

Cynthia

The line "that coffee belongs to Gibbs"

A flashback

Your authors today, in order of appearance, are:

aserene, IloveNascar, Morgan72uk, MrsScott323, Alex Cabot, lindainsweden, verityfrancesb, and elflordsmistress.

Enjoy ... and _please_ get in touch with elflordsmistress (email in _her_ profile) if you would like to join in for the next round.  
The more the merrier.

Seriously.

Heartfelt thanks to all the people that participated!!!


	2. The lipstick on the coffee cup

**Jibbsfest 1 **

**Must Contain: _MTAC, Pair of Stockings, "that coffee belongs to Gibbs," Cynthia, Flashback_**

**The Case of the Lipstick on the Coffee Cup by Aserene**

Cynthia was sitting at her desk making sure the Director's MTAC Conference running late wouldn't affect her plans. She couldn't complain about her job, Director Shepard was wonderful to work for and was a good friend as well. There was just one thing that made life slightly difficult and if the raised voices coming up the hall were any indication this was going to be one of those things.

"You can't just throw my team in some seminar!"

"You're going too, and it's not my decision, it's a requirement," Came the equally loud response. Cynthia quickly grabbed the bottle of Advil from the top desk drawer. Director Shepard stormed past her desk grabbing the bottle of Advil followed quickly by Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

"Well unrequire it!"

"Not my call!" She snapped back. The door to the office slammed closed and Cynthia cringed. She hadn't slammed in at least two weeks, _this is so not good_. She was about to pick up the phone when the door opened again and Gibbs stormed out, the Director following him to the doorway. "You better show up!"

"Yea, yea."

"It's yes Director!" Jenny shouted slamming the door shut again. _Ouch_, Cynthia though. _So not good._ Gibbs continued on his way out and down the stairs and a minute later the door opened again.

"Director can I get you something?" Cynthia inquired.

"More Advil, please. Thank you Cynthia," Jenny replied.

"Of course Director," came the expected response.

"I'll be in MTAC." Cynthia nodded and watched her leave. The phone rang minutes later. "Director Shepard's Office."

"Cynthia, Agent DiNozzo."

"Agent DiNozzo, the Director is not accepting apologies from Agent Gibbs."

"Uh Gibbs doesn't apologize but that certainly explains a lot," Tony responded. "I was wondering if the Director misplaced her coffee."

"She hasn't had any, but maybe she needs some."

"She hasn't had…Probie that coffee does belong to Gibbs!" Tony exclaimed. Cynthia hung up the phone and moved down the stairs. She found Agents DiNozzo and McGee and Officer David lurking around Gibbs' desk.

"So what's the deal?"

"Gibbs just came back downstairs with this coffee cup," Ziva answered.

"He had it upstairs, he's always drinking coffee," Cynthia said.

"Wearing lipstick?" DiNozzo inquired pointing at the red lipstick mark. Silence.

"Abby could run a chemical make up and we could see if it matches the Director's," McGee suggested.

"And just how would we get the Director's lipstick, Probie?" Tony questioned, but he looked behind him at Cynthia and then to Ziva. Cynthia noticed the looks and gulped.

"Cynthia, why don't you book me an appointment with the Director," Ziva suggested spotting Gibbs approaching.

"But she's…"

"Very busy, I wouldn't want to interrupt," Ziva replied leading Cynthia back up the stairs.

"DiNozzo if she's quitting because of you, you're fired," Gibbs said.

"Fired? Very Apprentice like, Boss," Tony laughed.

"What?"

"Apprentice? Donald Trump?" Gibbs glared. "Shutting up now Boss." Cynthia and Ziva shared a laugh as they continued to the Director's office.

"Ziva, how am I supposed to…"

"Shh…I'll take care of it, you just make sure she doesn't come in." Cynthia watched Ziva kneel down and pick the lock, thirty seconds later she slid into the room. Cynthia kept her eyes on the entrance and a minute later Ziva was beside her.

"That was…" Ziva gave her a look. "So now what?"

"Now it's Abby's turn." The two walked toward the elevator and took it down to the lab. Tony and McGee were already there. "No Gibbs?"  
"Back up in MTAC, apparently we are required to go to some seminar and he's trying to get the Director to unrequire it," McGee explained.

"I've already complied the chemicals in the lipstick on the coffee cup, now I just need a sample to compare it to," Abby announced.

"Try this," Ziva said holding out the tube. The team waited silently until the screen blinked green.

"Positive match, that's the lipstick."

"So the Director drank from Gibbs' coffee," Cynthia stated.

"He let her," Tony corrected.

"I also found a pair of stockings in the drawer with the lipstick," Ziva informed holding them up. They were still neatly packaged. "Brand new, but begs the question why?" Again all eyes were on Cynthia.

"She usually wears knees highs but a few weeks ago they got a run and she needed a new pair. The store only had stockings and she hates them so she must have just thrown them in the drawer."

"Director likes knee highs, can only imagine why," Tony commented with his usual grin.

"Most likely not the reason you are thinking of," Ziva assured. _Although I wouldn't be surprised._

* * *

"You think they know we can hear them?" 

"Nope." She nodded, _Sometimes DiNozzo you're one-track mind is not so far off. _ The two sat in MTAC beside each other watching his team and her assistant try and uncover a well-kept secret. "So do we really have to go to this seminar?"

"Yes you really have to go, but don't worry, I promise it won't be so bad," She said sweetly smiling.

"It will be, can't you stay in MTAC and for security I'll stay with you?"  
"Not a chance Jethro."

"We could listen to the seminar over phone conference," he suggested.

"Don't you remember the last time we'd tried that?" She questioned teasingly and he smiled that secretive smile that she knew meant he was remembering.

_It had been another hot August day. They still hadn't left the attic much less the make shift bed. The phone ringing startled the sleeping lovers awake and it was Jenny who grabbed the phone._

_"Shepard?"  
"Agent Shepard, what do you and Gibbs have?"_

_"Director!" She gasped somewhat surprised and nudged Gibbs awake. She mouthed 'Director' before sliding out of bed and grabbing a robe. The phone conversation continued with Gibbs adding words in every so often. She finally came close enough to the bed for him to catch her and he pulled her down beside him. She glared at him as she continued speaking and he grinned_. _His hand wandered up her leg and under the thin silk that barley covered her. He barley touched her but it seemed he had already discovered her weak spots. _

_However fair was fair and she handed him the phone to speak with their boss. He'd destroyed her composure and she certainly hoped the conversation was over soon. In the meantime she could have her revenge. She lay down beside him and nuzzled his neck and placed her hands on his chest, placing a kiss on his neck. _

_"Of course Director," came Gibbs' breathless reply. He hung up and tossed the phone across the room. "Not fair."_

_"I'll make it up to you, I promise." They did not leave the attic for several more hours. _

"That was just the Director," Gibbs reminded after thoroughly enjoying the memory. "A seminar would be totally different, you don't have to talk."

"Your team would be disappointed if we didn't show," Jenny laughed. Gibbs huffed.

"So after this seminar?"  
"Well I was hoping you could give me a ride home, I took the town car in."  
"I might not take you home."  
"Oh you will," she told him. "I need to sleep in a real bed at least one night a week," she warned. He smirked and glanced at the time before the smirk faded away. "I'll make it up to you," she promised, her voice lowering, he knew that tone, it sent shivers through him. She got up from the chair and pulled him up to leaving to go to the squad room.

The team was waiting idly in the bullpen when they came down the stairs. Tony was looking them over, mainly focusing on Jen. Ziva was grinning, _wonder what's got her so happy_, Gibbs thought. McGee and Abby were bickering and Ducky was watching them curiously. As the two came closer Gibbs whacked Tony on the back of the head and led the way to the conference room, the real conference room.

"Guess he didn't convince her," Ziva sighed.

"He might invent a case," Tony said hopefully. An elder woman stopped the group in the hallway.

"Director, I'm so sorry, but the seminar will not be taking place today, the FBI will be going today," she informed.

"Thank you for letting me know," Jenny responded trying not to let her irritation show. The woman went away. "Well I guess you can all go home."

"Told you he'd handle it," Tony whispered. WHACK. "Boss can we go home?"

"Director said you could," Gibbs replied. Ziva turned toward McGee who shrugged but went to get his stuff.

"Does that mean Gibbs and the Director are in agreement?" Ziva asked aloud.

"Guess so," Abby answered happily. The team left together and was hanging around their cars trying to figure out how Gibbs had gotten rid of the seminar when the elevator doors opened and Gibbs and the Director stepped off. Cynthia was behind them but moved quickly toward the team.

"They leaving together?" Tony questioned.

"Must be, she didn't call for the car," Cynthia answered.

"Well then," Ziva said stepping between cars and following the couple. Tony watched for a second before bolting to catch up with her.

"Gibbs is going to kill us," McGee sighed before he, Abby and Cynthia also followed.

"What's happening?" Abby asked trying to see.

"Shh!"

"We're trying to hear!"

"This weather is ridiculous," Jenny complained unhappily. She wrapped her arms around herself

"Cold?"  
"Very, I didn't need a jacket this morning," She sighed. Gibbs wrapped his coat around her shoulders and she smiled sweetly. _Guess chivalry isn't dead yet_. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He wrapped his arm around her, his hand finding its way to her hip and they continued to the car.

"Want anything specific for dinner?" She asked as if it were any everyday conversation.

"Let's skip dinner," he suggested with a smirk. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"Good idea." They both got into Gibbs' car and the team watched Jenny adjust the radio and Gibbs turning and with a finger tapping her nose before leaning in to kiss her.

"Well that explains the coffee and lipstick," Abby declared.

"And the locked doors," Cynthia added.

"Knee highs are easier to take off than stockings," Tony pointed out. Ziva punched his shoulder lightly.

"You shouldn't think about the parents like that!" She teased. Tony turned pale before shaking the image away. McGee laughed.

* * *

They got out of the car and walked up to the door. She got out her key and opened it; he stepped in first carrying her laptop bag. He helped her out of his coat and she pushed the door closed. 

"Your team knows," She said. He shrugged_, not like we weren't going to tell them eventually._

"They'll keep their mouths shut," he assured leaning down to kiss her. His kiss stole her breath and she had the dreamy look in her bright green eyes. It was a thrill that he could still have that effect on her and leave her in a place where she'd go wherever he led. He further surprised her by scooping her up and carrying her up the stairs.

"So how did you get rid of the Seminar speaker?"

"Need to know."  
"And I don't?" She pouted slightly. HE kissed her again and dropped her on the bed.

"Not right now."

"Fair enough," she replied pulling his head down closer and kissing him. She hit the light switch and the room faded into darkness. All that was left were the faint giggles and low moans.

**END**


	3. Another long night

**Title: Another Long Night**

**Author: I Love NASCAR**

Pairing: Jibbs, Tony/Other

Disclaimer: The only profit I receive from this story is the feedback you provide. All creative rights to the characters (except Shelby ) belong to DB, not me.

Summary: With the NCIS team working late, Gibbs stumbles onto a secret and more trouble than he bargained for.

Dedications: To Elflordsmistress, who came up with the idea for the **Jibbsfest**, as well as the challenge; and to Julia, without who none of my NCIS fics would ever get written.

**Chapter 1**

Tony DiNozzo was tired as he made his way up the stairs. It was another in a long line of nights he had to work and it was getting really old really fast. It was as if Gibbs thought that if he didn't have a reason to go home, no one else did either. He found himself sighing as he opened the MTAC door, but smiling as he closed it behind him, the room empty except for the slightly younger blonde waiting on him.

"Hey." Shelby Gibbs smiled, looking just as tired as he did, but her blue eyes twinkled as she saw him. "I wanted to see you before I went home."

"When's Jenny come back?" Tony asked, sure she would know, sure Gibbs gave her a daily update.

"Tomorrow." She knew that Tony was not alone in wishing that the director would hurry and return Not only did it make work more difficult with her away attending the meeting in Europe , but she was afraid her brother was finally signing his own death warrant, trying to be NCIS director and snarling like a wounded bear, missing Jen more than the rest of them combined.

"Thank God." He sighed again, wrapping his arms around her. "Maybe we could go on vacation when things get back to normal."

"Things around here are never normal," she quipped, but smiled and kissed him. "That sounds like a great idea." She settled down in the seats with him, using MTAC as their own private meeting place, still hiding from the others, who didn't know, and, given her brother's present mood, weren't about to find out.

"A beach. Wanna go to a beach," Tony said in between kisses, feeling more awake than he had in days as he put his hand on her pantyhose, hating the feeling of the stockings she wore to work with her heels.

Jethro Gibbs looked at his watch, trying to think of a way to hide from Cynthia, wishing he'd paid more attention to everyone when they'd tried to teach him how to text message or talk on the computer, remembering his last phone call to Jenny, how he missed her.

"I see you haven't stopped answering my line," Jenny Shepherd said with a grin he could almost feel, halfway around the world.

"You have lots of lines. Which one do you want me to stop answering?" The way he phrased it, she could tell he meant more than just telephone lines and shivered with delight.

"None." She smiled. "I'll be home tomorrow."

"I know. We're working tonight so I can take the day off."

She smiled with anticipation. "What do you want me to bring you?" She was in Rome this time and, although it was beautiful there, she loved the country, she missed him, wished he could be there with her.

"You." He paused, meaning the words with everything in his heart. "I just want you."

She smiled, biting her lower lip. "You have some pretty good lines yourself, Jethro." She took a breath and slowly let it out. "Is my office still in tact?"

"Nope. I dismantled it. It'll take at least a week to put it back right," he teased her.

"Well, what do you want to do for that week?" She let her mind drift back to all the other times they'd had a day or week off together and how they'd always ended up doing the same thing.

"Go to Mexico ," Gibbs said, only partially teasing. He'd love to take her some place where there were no bodyguards, no assistants, no work, no cell phones, but such a place could never exist for them. He'd settle just to have her in his arms.

"Ah. A margarita safari sounds good about now." She teased back, trying not to remember how awful those months he had lived in Mexico had been for her, how lonely she'd been without him.

She frowned, seeing them signal that the next meeting was about to start. She should have waited until she got back to the hotel to talk to him, but sometimes she missed him so badly she couldn't stand it. It was unfathomable that this was what their relationship had been delegated to for six years, phone calls here and there, no visits, nothing but a voice on the other end of the line.

"Jen?" He sensed her silence and worried. She was too far away. If something happened, it would take him at least ten hours to get to her, more like fifteen or twenty in reality, if he got the first plane out.

"I'm fine, Jethro. The meeting's about to start. I'll see you tomorrow?" She waited for him to repeat it. "Jethro?"

"Yeah?"

"Apologize to Cynthia. And Tony."

He didn't even allow himself to wonder how she knew. He'd been in a foul mood since she left; her assistant and his second-in-command had taken the brunt of it. "Never apol..."

"It's a sign of weakness. I know." She rubbed her forehead. "Okay, I'll fix it with Cynthia," she already knew she'd owe the girl into the next millennium for being 'stuck' with Gibbs again, "but you fix it with Tony."

He smiled, knowing that would be how it would work out. While he didn't mean to, he frequently made messes with the relationships of the women in his life and she was the one who fixed them. "Deal."

After talking to Ziva, finding out that Tony had headed towards the MTAC room, Gibbs tracked him down, opened the door, and his face shot red, a thousand emotions running through his head. It was one thing to know that Shelby had once been in love with Tony. It was quite another one to walk in on the NCIS agent making out with his little sister.

**Chapter 2**

It wasn't the first time that Donald Mallard had wanted to nail his friend to a wall so that he'd stay still. "I need to check your blood pressure."

"My blood pressure's fine, Ducky. Tony's won't be once I get ahold of him." The shock of seeing what he had had worn off, leaving only the anger.

Ducky privately wondered how his friend knew that Shelby hadn't started the whole thing, knowing the girl as well as he did, a younger combination of the stubbornness of her brother and the determination of Jenny mixed with a mischievous streak all her own. He knew better than to say that though, especially at the moment. He took his friend's blood pressure and paused for a moment. "A little high, but I knew it would be. You need to calm down. She's over twenty-one. And the simple fact of the matter is that if the…if Jenny were here, we wouldn't even be having this conversation."

"Don't start shrinking me, Duck." He had a strong suspicion that his friend was right about at least part of it. If Jenny was there, they'd talk it out and the simple fact of the matter was that he'd been boiling even before he'd opened the MTAC door.

"Coffee," Cynthia said, coming into the office with two cups. Ducky started to take one and she moved it out of his reach, handing him the other instead. "That coffee belongs to Gibbs."

Gibbs took the one she indicated, taking a sip. "Anything else?" Cynthia asked Ducky, not Gibbs.

Ducky shook his head. "Thank you, my dear."

"Cynthia…" It was obvious that Gibbs wasn't calm yet, although the urge to kill DiNozzo was ebbing slightly. "You can go home."

She looked at him in surprise and nodded. "Thank you." It was after midnight.

"That's all I know," Cynthia recounted to Jenny as they rode home in the limo from the airport. "He was asleep this morning when I got to work and he's slept since. That's been over eight hours."

Jenny frowned, obviously not liking the news. "Has Ducky seen him? What does he say?"

"He was running a drug test when I left. Shelby was up there with him." It was obvious that Cynthia was uncomfortable about something, but Jenny was unsure what it was.

When they arrived at headquarters, Jenny ran past the group of Timothy McGee, Ziva David, and DiNozzo, sitting at their desks, off duty but worried about Gibbs. She went upstairs to her office where she was greeted by Shelby . "Ducky and Abby are running a blood test in the lab."

"Cynthia told me a little bit of what happened."

"I thought he was going to explode, Jen. You know how he gets But now, this…" She shook her head.

Jenny started to say something, but stopped as they both heard Gibbs talking. They walked into the inner part of her office together, Jenny getting the blanket she kept, placing it over him as he lay on the couch. It was obvious that he was still asleep and, for the first moment, they thought they'd imagined him talking. When the moment was over and he talked again, Jenny smiled, brushing her hand at his hairline, listening as he talked in his sleep, not about Shannon, not about Hollis, but about her…and Paris.

**Chapter 3**

Tony was walking to the lab when he saw Cynthia sitting by herself in one of the hallways, her head hanging down. Although they had never been close, he approached her. "You okay?"

She shook her head. "Tony…I put a sleeping pill in his coffee. I never thought it would last this long. What if he's having some sort of weird side effect…?"

"Whoa." Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Pause, rewind…you're saying you slipped the boss a mickey?"

Cynthia paused. "You know what he's been like since she left." Tony nodded. "She had some pills left from when she had insomnia during that undercover case you two were working on." Tony nodded, remembering his 'lady boss' not being able to sleep after Gibbs 'moved' to Mexico until La Grenuoille had been found dead. "I gave him one. She only used a half, but she's smaller than he is. I just wanted to calm him down…"

Tony could understand the inclination and, if he had thought about it first, he couldn't say he wouldn't have done it. "It's okay, Cynthia."

"What if he's allergic to it? I didn't even think about that, about side effects…Jenny's going to kill me."

Tony shook his head. "No. Because she's not going to know." Cynthia looked up at him. "Just go home. Get some sleep. And never do that again. I'll take care of the rest, okay?"

She nodded, still not sure about leaving him to clean up her mess, but agreeing. He walked to the lab, still thinking about what to do.

Abby turned around just as Tony was coming into her lab. "Abs, I need a favor." He lowered the music so that she could hear him talk.

"Tony, you'll never believe what I found in his blood work…" She began.

"Yeah, I will." He interrupted. "Sleeping pills, right?"

She nodded. "Valium. He was poisoned."

Tony sat on her stool, facing her. "He wasn't poisoned I just wanted him to calm down a little. You heard him. Hell, the whole building heard him. I was worried for Shelby ." He began to practice, expecting heads to roll when he told Jenny and Gibbs. "Can I get you not to tell anyone? I'll tell Jenny and Gibbs, take my punishment, but no one else needs to know."

"You slipped Gibbs a Valium." She looked at him in shock, something not fitting right, thinking he was covering for someone, but the only suspect she could possible imagine would be Shelby and Abby wasn't sure that Shelby would do it either.

"Yes." He could already feel the slap on the back of the head and wished Cynthia had used anything but Valium, an OTC one, something that would make it just a little bit more acceptable. "Abby, I'm sorry, okay? I'll never do it again."

Abby was torn between her love for Gibbs and her love for Tony, but nodded. "Okay."

Tony turned, not aware until that second of the person in the doorway. " Shelby "

"We need to talk."

He cringed at the words, them never being good in any of the 'relationships' he'd been in, but nodded, walking with her to an interrogation room, sitting on the side where the suspects sat, Shelby where the agents did. "You gave Jethro a Valium."

"I was trying to get him to relax. It was wrong. I know it was wrong. I'll never do it again."

Shelby gave him the patented Gibbs stare, her hands locked on the table. "Where'd you get the Valium?"

"Jenny had it. From the La Grenuoille mission." It was obvious that she didn't like that piece of news either. "I wasn't trying to hurt him. I was trying to help him. You know what he was like. If he didn't calm down, by the time Jenny came home, he'd blow a fuse and either kill someone or have a heart attack."

"So you're trying to say you medicated him for his own good. Why didn't you let Ducky?" He had no answer. "How did you know she had the Valium?" Again, no answer. "How much did you give him?"

"One," he finally answered

"Go home. Get some sleep and I'll call you." She kissed his cheek. "And never do this again."

" Shelby ." He started to confess what had happened, but stopped, deciding he wasn't going to, but then again two seconds later it was all out on the table. "And she was so upset that I didn't want to feed her to Gibbs."

She looked at him in disbelief and then started to laugh, trying to hide it. "And you were going to cover for her and I was going to cover for you…"

He managed a smile, able to see the humor in it. "C'mon. I better face the music."

"I'll go with you. Talk to Jen."

Jenny was pouring a pot of fresh coffee, Gibbs awake but not yet oriented, when the two came in. "Welcome back, Jenny."

The redhead smiled. "Thanks." She was glad to be back, even under the circumstances.

"Is the boss awake?"

"He's conscious, but he hasn't had coffee, so I don't know if I'd say awake." She paused. "Is something wrong?"

Shelby answered, "It's about what happened."

"Let me get him this coffee and I'll be right back." The redhead disappeared and then reappeared a few seconds later, sitting in one of the chairs. "What was in the blood test?"

"Jenny, I gave him one of your Valiums," Tony said straight up, taking responsibility.

Jenny grew pale and bit her lip, obviously upset about something. "How did you know I had them?"

"I was snooping around and found them. I thought they'd calm him down. It was wrong and I'm sorry. The last thing I'd ever do is anything to hurt Gibbs. I just wanted him to calm down."

It was obvious that Jenny didn't believe him. "Tony, there is no way you would have found them snooping around. Only myself and Cynthia knew where they were." He paused, not having an answer for that. "You're covering for her, aren't you?"

He paused, not knowing what to tell her. "Tony," Shelby said. "Tell her the truth."

He looked at the blonde, taking her hand, and nodded. "Yes. Cynthia was so upset about it, especially when Gibbs didn't wake up. You know, better than anyone, how he can be. I'm not saying it was an excuse, but I am saying that I can see where it could get to that point." Jenny nodded. "Don't be angry with her."

"I'm not." Jenny took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I should have thrown them away a few months ago. I don't know why I didn't." She studied both of them. "I'm not going to say anything about it to him. There's no need. The drugs are about to come out of his system, so all it did was give him a nice long nap."

"You're not going to say anything?" Tony asked in surprise.

"We're all guilty. If he hadn't walked in on you two, he wouldn't have been as 'surprised'. If I hadn't left him in charge, he wouldn't have been so stressed. If I had thrown the pills out, Cynthia wouldn't have had them accessible We're just as guilty as she is." She paused again. "Does anyone else know anything about this?"

"Abby ran the blood test, but she thinks I did it and she's not saying anything," Tony said, still holding Shelby 's hand.

"Go home. Get some sleep. I'm going to drive him home and do the same." She walked into her office again, seeing him a little more coherent. "Jenny."

"Hey." She kissed his forehead and then his lips, tasting the coffee. "Feel better?"

"What happened?"

She didn't even hesitate. "You were working so hard, not sleeping, that you finally crashed." He looked doubtful, but didn't really care, as long as she was there. "C'mon. I'll drive you home."

"And stay?" He hoped he didn't sound too hopeful, but the best thing in the world for him right then would be to lie beside her with her in his arms.

"And stay." They walked out together, holding hands when they got on the elevator, and Gibbs fell back to sleep on the way home.


	4. Rite of Spring

**Author: Morgan72UK**

**Title: Rite of Spring**

It must have been spring. Though if anyone had asked he would have scoffed at the idea of being effected by something as ephemeral as the change of the seasons.

For all he followed the evidence he would never have made a connection between the end of the long, dark days of winter and a sense of rebirth and rejuvenation.

It might have been the spring. It was the first morning he emerged from his house without it being dark and in his yard the first shoots of green were starting to peep through – but of course he didn't notice that.

It couldn't have been the way he sat next to her in MTAC that morning and noticed, almost without realising it, that her shirt was a little lower than normal and his position afforded him a tantalising vision of pale skin and coloured satin. When she looked up from the file he'd brought her and realised where his gaze was directed she raised an eyebrow enquiringly and his rueful grin wasn't by any means an apology.

It might have been the scent of her perfume, because it stayed with him all day, as though it had sunk into his senses, conjuring up her presence at inconvenient moments.

It couldn't have been the moment later in the afternoon when he left the elevator in time to hear McGee say worriedly, "that's Gibbs' coffee…" and rounded the corner to see her perched on his desk, his coffee cup in hand – clearly having already taken a mouthful of his coffee. Her smile was as unrepentant as his had been earlier and she took another swallow of his coffee before she handed the cup back to him, her fingers perilously close to his.

It definitely wasn't watching Tony and Ziva bicker their way through the afternoon, because that evoked feelings of irritation, resulting in head slaps.

It might have been the moment when he strode past Cynthia, straight into her office – to stop dead in his tracks just inside the doorway at the realisation that he'd caught her in the act of fixing a stocking. The memories from the past assailed him, of undressing her and sliding his hands over stockings until he found flesh. Of watching her dress, seeing her in a hotel room, fastening stockings exactly as she was doing now – and then reaching for her even as she protested that he would make them both late.

He couldn't quite remember what he'd come to talk to her about – and his mumbled apology and hasty retreat was frankly pathetic. The long, smooth display of leg was distracting enough, but he wasn't sure how he was going to get through the rest of the day knowing what she was wearing under her skirt.

It wasn't the stockings, the perfume, the view down her shirt or her smile as she swiped his coffee. None of these things on their own were enough – and even in combination they perhaps wouldn't have been enough. But it was spring.

It wasn't late when he returned to her office, though the rest of his team had gone home. This time she was sitting behind her desk, glasses perched on her nose, files spread out before her.

"Remember what you wanted last time?"

"Haven't a clue. Did you eat?" She shook her head and then looked surprised as he rounded the desk and pulled her to her feet. "Let me buy you dinner?"

"Jethro?"

"Dinner – at the French place you like."

"You'll never get a reservation,"

"Already arranged."

"What's the occasion?"

"Have dinner with me Jen."

It might have been spring that prompted the invitation, though he likely didn't know it. He'd never believe that it was spring that persuaded her to accept, sending her away from the office in enough time to change into a dress the colour of her eyes, the front cut every bit as low as the shirt he'd been so interested in earlier.

The restaurant was discrete and out of the way, the food less pretentious than he'd expected and actually extremely good. The candlelight made the atmosphere soft and romantic and it was surprisingly easy not to talk about work. She watched him over the top of her wine glass and he knew she wanted to ask what was happening – he was relieved when she didn't, because he wasn't sure. He didn't know that it was the spring, the something inside him was loosening, unfurling every bit as tentatively as the early buds in his yard.

It might have been the spring that made him invite her back to his house for coffee – and it was certainly spring that meant they didn't get around to making coffee until the following morning. When they left the house together, so he could drive her home for a change of clothes, neither of them noticed there were a few early flowers in the front yard.

But that didn't matter – spring had done its work.

The End


	5. Lockdown

**Title: **Lockdown

**Author: **Mrs Scott323

All the screens in MTAC turned black. And then all the lights turned off too.

The two people in the room turned their heads towards the lamps.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Well, just a guess but I think the generator just gave out."

"Very funny Jethro. This is not possible. There is an emergency generator supposed to kick in immediately."

"Relax Jen, it's not like the world has come to an end. We'll get ourselves some flashlights and see if we're able to fix it."

"Didn't you forget one little thing Jethro? MTAC always goes into lockdown every time the power shuts down."

Not believing her he went to the door, feeling his way to it. He tried to open it but unfortunately she had been right. It was shut and there was no way to open it from the inside.

She smirked.

"I hate to say I told you so but, I told you so."

She took her cell phone from her pocket and opened it, the light from the screen reflected in her face.

"I'll call Cynthia, she'll contact someone who can fix this."

She turned away from him and had a short conversation with her secretary. The words 'three hours' and 'postpone all my appointments' were all he could hear. She ended the call with a short "Bye" and closed her phone.

"It looks like we're going to be in here for a while, Cynthia was on the phone with a mechanic at the same time and he told her it would take about three hours to get us out of here."

With a sigh she sat down in one of the comfortable chairs and opened her phone again, just to be able to see something more than darkness.

"So what do you want to do until then?"

While she said it, she wished she hadn't said a thing. On his face appeared a smile, or a smirk, she wasn't sure. But she definitely knew what he was thinking. It was the same thing that she was thinking of.

The last time the two of them had been locked in a room somewhere. Well not really a room, then it had been a janitor's closet.

"_What do you want to do until then?"_

_She looked at him, surprised by the q__uestion. They had been in this closet for five minutes now. Together in a very small space. They were shaking off a tail and it had been her idea to hide in this closet for a while. _

_But that was before she knew the door couldn't be opened from the inside. _

"_I don'__t know.." Before she could finish her sentance, his hand was on her mouth. With the finger of his other hand he motioned for her to be silent. _

_She listened. _

_Footsteps, just a little further down the hall. The two of them kept silent until the sound disappeared. _

_Finally he withdrew his hand. The two of them locked eyes, a tiny smile on both their faces. _

"Any ideas?"

"At least we have some room to walk now."

"And we can sit more comfortably."

Gibbs sat down next to Jenny.

"Now all I need is some coffee."

Jen rolled her eyes. _Addicted much?_

The two of them sat in silence for a while. Neither was exactly sure what to say. It had been a while since they had a chance to talk. With no one to interrupt them or a case to fight over.

"Jen?"

"What is it Jethro?"

"How long have we been here?"

Jenny checked the clock on her cell phone.

"Half an hour."

She turned her head. There was something else she really wanted to say. Something she wanted to say for a while now. Her head told her to stop but her heart spoke up first.

"You want to know something?"

Gibbs turned his head to his left to look her in the face.

"Back in that closet there was really something I wanted to do."

He looked a bit confused but when he was about to open his mouth to reply she kissed him. It took him a second to realize what just happened. But then he returned her kiss with equal passion. Her hands ran through his hair, pulling him a little closer as she deepened their kiss. This time it was no duel of words but their tongues did the fighting for them.

Her phone rang and he pulled back\; one of them at least should use their head.

They were Director and Agent. And it was against his own rule. As much as he wanted this. Still wanted this. He shouldn't. Even though she looked incredibly beautiful with her face flushed like it was now.

"Shepard. You'll just have to cancel it. Cynthia? Cynthia?"

"Great. My battery just died."

With a sigh she closed her phone and put it back in her pocket. Neither of them spoke. The uncomfortable silence was almost suffocating. She looked to her right. But it was too dark to see anything. Unfortunately. Did he reget what just happened? She really hoped he didn't. Maybe it had been wrong to let her heart take over.

No. It had been the right choice. She had been walking around with these feelings for so long. And finally it had felt like the time was right. Plus, he had kissed her back.

"Jen, I can hear you think."

She chose not to reply to that. She just stayed silent. Then she felt him move next to her. His hand slowly ran down her arm, covering her hand with his.

"You know Jen, we shouldn't have done that."

"Do you regret it happened?" She tried to keep her voice as steady as she could but there was a small trimble in it. He laced their fingers together.

"No. But it probably wouldn't be a good idea if we did it again."

"Right."

They sat there for a few more minutes. His thumb softly stroking the back of her hand. Both far away in their own thoughts. She could hear he was saying something, but she was unable to make out what it was.

"What did you say Jethro?"

"Asked if you wanted to dance."

"Here? In the dark? Without music?"

"Did we ever need music to dance?"

She smiled, he was right. It had been one of their things in Paris. The dancing. Sometimes there had been music, but most of the times. They were just swaying to the beat of their hearts.

"Alright then." The two got up and he pulled her closer, his arms settled around her waist as she put hers around his neck. They made slow circles, for a moment it was just the two of them in this room. No one else. No agency to run. No interruptions. Just Jenny and Jethro. Together. Dancing.

"Jen?"

She lifted her head from his chest. "What is it?"

She felt his hand on her cheek, his fingers softly running down the line of her jaw.

"We were never any good at following rules, were we?"

She smiled as he captured her lips in a soft kiss. But that soft kiss quickly escalated to something more. Her hands already unbuttoning his shirt. And his exploring every curve of her body all over again. He was glad she had decided to wear a skirt today. He pushed it up a bit, to gain better access. His shirt was fully unbuttoned by now and she was already working on his pants. He tried to catch up by pulling her stockings down. It had been so long since he had been able to run his fingers over the soft skin on her legs. While pulling them down, he made a big run in both of them. But she didn't care.

She pulled him down to the floor, her lips trailing down his chest. He pulled her face back up. He really couldn't wait any longer.

Then the lights went on. And there was static on all the screens. The interruption startled the both of them. Neither of them really cared and wanted to pick up where they left of but they could hear Tony and McGee arguing outside.

"Get your own Probie, that coffee belongs to Gibbs. He'll probably need it. Being caffeïne deprived for all those hours."

"McGee what do you Americans call that again? Sucking up, yes?" Ziva looked at Tim and then at Tony who had put his best 'innocent face' on.

Cynthia approached them from behind, and she entered the security code to unlock the door. Jenny and Gibbs stormed out. Gibbs stopped when he saw his team but Jenny walked further.

Tony whispered loudly "I told you they had a fight, Zee-vah." But he quickly shut up when the Director turned around with something in her hand.

"Cynthia? Is there any chance you could get me a new pair of stockings? I somehow got a run in these."

"Of course Director, I probably have some in my desk."

Tony's gaze traveled down, turning his head slightly to get a better look at the legs of his Boss' Boss. The sharp pain of a headslap put his head in its right position.

"Got you coffee Boss."

Gibbs took the cup and drank most of it. He watched Jenny as she walked of. She threw a short look over her shoulder and winked at him.

It was going to be a long night.


	6. Rewriting the past

**Title:** Rewriting the past.

**Author:** Alex Cabot

It was Monday morning and Jennifer Shepard had overslept. She had barely had time to shower and for once she was actually grateful that she had opted for the slighty drastic hairstyle choice.

On her way into NCIS she saw that the bullpen where Gibbs and his team worked was empty except for DiNozzo. She saw that a cup of coffee sat on Gibbs' vacant desk and she seized the opportunity to grab it for herself, after all she probably needed the caffeine hit more than Gibbs did.

"That coffee belongs to Gibbs." Tony said in warning as Jenny picked up the styrofoam cup and took a sip.

"I'm sure he won't mind." Jenny smiled, knowing that he would until he knew it was her who stolen the coffee anyway.

She took the coffee upstairs with her, taking long sips of the delicious liquid. Once she was alone in the sanctity of her office she took a pair of stockings out of her purse and began to slip them on. She hadn't had time to put them on before she left home. The sound of the door opening caused her to jump nervously.

"Jethro!" She exclaimed with a mixture of anger and relief that it was only him.

She wondered if he had realised his coffee was missing yet. Jenny knew that she had to be more careful in her office. Tony had already caught Cynthia trying to fix Jenny's bra for her.

"What can I do for you, Gibbs?" She asked, not expecting an apology from him, what with it being a sign of weakness and all that. She also noticed that he seemed to be staring at her legs. Smirking to herself, Jenny made an obvious show of smoothing the material against her slender legs.

Gibbs was silent for a few moments and Jenny wondered if she was having the desired effect on him. Before either of them could speak, Cynthia burst into the office.

"Director, the Director of the FBI is on the line. He wants to talk to you. Now!"

The urgency of the message was emphasised by Cynthia's out of character entracne and the panic in her voice.

Jenny and Gibbs exchanged a look and Cynthia felt uncomfortable as though she had interrupted something although she had not overheard their voices from her desk outside.

"Sorry Director." She apologised, retreating from the electric atmosphere of the Director's office.

"Thank you, Cynthia!" Jenny called after her, then she turned to Gibbs. "Whatever it is, it will have to wait, sorry Jethro."

Gibbs nodded his response and left the office.

Gibbs had been thinking about Jen a lot recently especially after his brief affair with Hollis Mann came to an end. He thought that he could prove that he was over Jenny by becoming involved with Hollis but it had only made him realise how much he still loved the fiery redhead. In fact he still loved her as much as he had when he had fallen for her in Paris.

_It was their last night together in Paris and after a meal together they decided to climb the Eiffel Tower. A small emerald coloured velvet boxed weighed heavy in Gibbs' pocket and on his mind. Could he go through with this?_

_"Jen," He began. "You know that I love you..."_

_"Jethro, please. I love you too but this isn't going to work. I've enjoyed our time together so much but it can't last."_

_Gibbs was lost for words. As Jenny moved to turn away from him, Gibbs' hand moved to the jewellery box in his jacket pocket_

When Jenny returned to the comfort of her office at the end of the working day she saw that Cynthia had already gone home. It was only then that Jen realised how late it actually was. The business with the FBI had taken longer than she had expected. Jenny crossed the room to her desk and saw a note addressed to her, it was from Cynthia.

"Director, Gibbs asked me to tell you to meet him in MTAC as soon as you're finished with the FBI."

Jenny studied the note and wondered what Gibbs was up to now. God only knew.

"Are you sure this is gonna work, Abs?" Gibbs asked, looking skeptically at the Goth.

"Trust me Gibbs, have I let you down yet?" Abby replied, her enthusiasm bubbling over even more than usual and this time it had nothing to do with Caff Pow.

Abby clicked the mouse and the screen before them was transformed. Even Gibbs was taken aback.

"It's perfect!" Abby exclaimed, throwing her arms around Gibbs. "I am so happy for you. The Director is a lucky lady, Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled. "Thanks Abby." He kissed her cheek. "I think you'd better go."

With a wide grin and a wave, Abby left Gibbs alone in MTAC.

Gibbs didn't have to wait long before there was a knock at the door.

"Jethro, what is going on?"

Jenny entered MTAC and surveyed Gibbs with her hands on her hips. A smile played across

Gibbs' mouth, she looked so hot when she was mad, especially if she was mad at him. He walked up to her and took her hands, leading her to the screen which dominated the empty room. He clicked the mouse as Abby had done and the screen was filled with a photograph of Paris at night time, the Eiffel Tower was lit up in the centre.

"Jethro, it's beautiful, but I don't understand..."

Gibbs pulled a small box from his pocket and sank down so that he was balanced on one knee.

"Jenny Shepard, will you marry me?"

Jenny was completely blown away.

"But Jethro..."

"I know, Jen, I know I said I never wnated to get married again but this time it would be different."

Jenny stared at the ring to avoid having to look into those blue eyes.

"How do you know?"

"Because I've never loved anyone like this Jen, not since Shannon."

Jenny felt tears spring to her eyes. "In that case, I'd love to be your wife Jethro."

She waited until Gibbs had placed the ring on her finger before throwing her arms around his neck. Gibbs held her close, enveloping her slender body in his embrace. It was a relief to know that this time he wouldn't have to let her go.

Ever.


	7. The party

**Title**: The party

**Author:** lindainsweden

Jethro Gibbs had a mission. He barged through the door to the office of his ex-lover, friend and boss, Jenny Shepard. She sat at her desk typing on her computer, ignoring Gibbs completely.

"Jen?" he inquired and finally she acknowledged him and, somewhat annoyed, gave him her full attention.

"Jethro. Anything I can do for you?"

'_Oh yeah, plenty.' _

Ignoring his naughty thoughts for a while he remembered his mission and held out his hand innocently. Jenny was puzzled at this strange behavior and lifted an eyebrow at him, trying to figure out what he wanted.

"Get your coat, we're leaving." Jen laughed out loud and stood up, only to decrease the distance between them. She took his hand and looked him deep in the ice blue eyes.

"Booked a hotel room, did you?" she asked, nearly making him lose his balance with the forward question. He grinned at her.

"I should have known that was far too easy."

"You know I've got work to do Jethro." He made his best sad puppy imitation, earning him a playful swat on the arm.

"What is the plan for tonight? Getting me drunk to make me relax more?"

He smiled at this, knowing he probably was nagging her a bit too much about her lack of sleep and hard work.

"Nah, that's too easy," he teased her, making Jenny give him her best glare. He raised his hands in surrender and sighed dramatically.

"Ok, we're going to a party. And not just any party, Abbys' party."

Seeing Jennys' lack of interest he hurriedly spoke up again.

"I thought you and I could start here with a little bourbon, to get in the mood."

"Oh, alright. I suppose I do need to get out of the office more." She poured them drinks and they sat down on the couch in comfortable silence. The more they drank though, the more they started talking about everything and nothing, the memory of Paris always a fresh reminder on their minds of what could have been.

"It's time to go Jen," Jethro said happily, for once glad to get out of work on a Friday night and this time with the promise of spending the entire evening with his beautiful director.

Abby somehow heard the doorbell ring despite the loud music in her apartment and she gladly opened it to greet more of her lovely friends. She was surprised to see Gibbs outside, but nor nearly as surprised as she was to see the director with him, his arm steadily around her shoulders while hers was around his waist.

"Gibbs! Director Shepard! I'm so glad you could make it. Please come inside, there are drinks for everyone in the kitchen." Jenny and Gibbs looked at each other before finally going into spare time mode one hundred percent.

"Abby, it's Jenny off work," Jenny told the young goth and she got a smile in return before Abby disappeared to take care of the other guests.

The night went on and both Jenny and Gibbs had a great time. Neither strayed too far from the other though and on several occasions people mistook them for a couple. Several drinks later they were in the living room, dancing to some black metal band, both feeling more than a little bit tipsy. Suddenly Jethro took a hold of Jennys' arm and led her into the peaceful bedroom where they could actually have a conversation. Jenny felt her head spinning, not quite sure that she would remember everything in the morning.

"Jen?" She looked at Gibbs and noticed a trace of some unknown emotion in his eyes.

"Yes?" The tension was suddenly palpable and Jenny felt her heart race as they held each others eyes.

"I'm sure we will regret this in the morning, but I can't help myself." Gibbs bent down and pressed his lips carefully to Jennys', giving her plenty of time to pull away.

She did.

Gibbs looked worried but saw no trace of hurt or regret in Jennys' eyes, just happiness and, was that love? He felt his heart swell with emotion as he recognized the look she gave him as one she gave him often enough while in Paris.

"I thought you would never take the initiative," Jenny whispered and fiercely pressed Gibbs against the wall, letting her mouth assault his most eager one. When the lack of oxygen became too much of an issue they pulled apart, both panting and out of breath.

"Maybe we should take this elsewhere?" Jenny asked and Gibbs nodded before calling a cab to go to his house. They said goodbye to Abby and left, trying not to seem to be in too much of a hurry.

When the front door to Gibbs' house closed it took less than two seconds before they were throwing themselves at each other like hungry werewolves. Somehow they made it upstairs before ending up in bed, making up for all those years between now and Paris.

Jenny woke up with the headache from hell the next morning. She groaned before she realized where she was. Gibbs had a protective arm around her and she couldn't help the feeling of complete safety that filled her, nor the love radiating from her entire body towards this wonderful man. Feeling suddenly embarrassed about the entire ordeal, and worried about what Gibbs might think, she left quietly, the only reminder of her being there the unmade bed next to the love of her life.

Gibbs woke up half an hour later, feeling like he had been trampled on by elephants. He remembered getting to the party with Jenny, but when did he leave? He noticed the other side of the bed was used and he could swear the pillow smelled of his boss' perfume. Ignoring his head he decided to get to work and clear his head a bit from the foggy evening of yesterday.

Late at night Gibbs noticed Jenny was leaving her office for MTAC and, seeing that his officers didn't handle their hangovers as well as he did, he let them leave with a promise to come back bright and early in the morning. As soon as the last person was out the door he hurried up the stairs to confront Jenny about last night. He entered and went to sit down next to her. As he searched her impassive face for some kind of reminder he suddenly had a flashback.

_Jenny threw herself at him as soon as the door closed and he could do nothing but obey, his mind already reeling from the events of the night that led to this. He kissed her everywhere he could reach but soon decided her clothes had to come off for him to be able to touch her entire body. Expertly he undressed her while moving up the stair, one step at the time. When they reached the bedroom Jenny was completely naked, showing him each of her tantalizing curves, making his body crave for her touch. When he saw her walk into the bedroom and motion for him to follow his mind overloaded. Jenny undressed him painfully slow before leading him to the bed, where she made love to him like there was no tomorrow. Paris my ass, this was far hotter than that._

When Gibbs saw Jenny blush from his stare he realized that she remembered everything as well. He grinned like a Cheshire cat and couldn't help but let his hand land on her thigh, making her jump a little. She looked at him and her blush deepened instantly when she noticed the look he was giving her.

"It really was you last night. I thought I must be imagining things when I smelled your perfume on my pillow but could find no trace of you at all."

Jenny smiled at him and looked around, noticing that MTAC was empty and that everybody had retired for the evening.

"Do you regret it?" Jenny asked hesitantly, afraid that their fragile relationship was going to shatter because of their little rendezvous. Gibbs did the only thing to make her sure he felt the same way she did; he kissed her.

At first the kiss was sweet and loving but soon the need for more was quite urgent and they ended up in one of the chairs, Jenny sitting on Gibbs' naked lap, making love to him. Their clothes lay discarded on the floor but neither had a care in the world besides their imminent releases.

Giggling, they managed to somehow get dressed before leaving for the privacy of Jennys' home and the much needed sleep they both longed for.

Abby was shocked. She had just witnessed Director Shepard and Gibbs share a coffee cup; one that was located in the hands of the director at the moment. Tony entered her lab, slightly surprised to see everyone there already, looking like goldfish nonetheless.

"Hey boss! What did I miss?" he asked innocently, but was silenced by Abby who leaned into him and whispered in his ear while pointing at the couple in front of them.

"That coffee cup belongs to Gibbs." Tonys' eyes widened as he watched Jenny take a large gulp of the coffee before handing the cup back to Gibbs. Jenny smiled in Gibbs' direction and winked before she headed out of the lab and back to work.

Cynthia and Jenny walked into MTAC discussing what Jenny would need for her next conference when the assistant bent down to pick something up from the floor.

"Cynthia?" Jenny inquired, wondering what on earth the woman was doing. Cynthia looked up at the director, her face all red. In her hands she held Jennys' stockings from the previous night.

"I believe these are yours director."

Since that day, Jenny could never enter MTAC without blushing.


	8. Eavesdropping

**Title:** Eavesdropping

**Author:** VerityFrancesB

Cynthia sat behind her desk and listened to the argument that was happening behind closed doors.

She wasn't intentionally listening, but it was hard not to hear the raised voices of Agent Gibbs and Direct Sheppard.

She had known today was going to be one of those days when the director had stormed in, followed closely by Agent Gibbs scowling. That in its self was not unusual, but the subject of the argument currently raging next door was.

"I do not think what I wear under my skirt is any concern of yours, Agent Gibbs" came the calm, if slightly raised voice of Jenny.

"Oh really?" Replied Agent Gibbs, "But it was my concern last night, wasn't it Director?"

Cynthia practically spat her coffee all over the letters she had just written at the suggestive tone of that comment.

She had thought there was something going on with those two but now she was sure that Agent Gibbs had just confirmed it.

"I am not talking to you when you are being this unreasonable."

Cynthia had to smile at that. Jenny was always calm under pressure; it was no doubt the reason she had been chosen as Director.

"_I'm _being unreasonable? Jen, look at them! I do not want every Agent in this building drooling over you."

"Oh, but its ok for you, isn't it, Mr Grabby Hands!"

Cynthia frowned, she didn't like where this was going, she quietly got up and walked out, leaving the door to her office ajar so she could hear when they had finished arguing.

Just as she stepped outside, Agent DiNozzo walked up.

"Morning Cynthia."

He smiled sweetly. She forced a smile back.

Tony had a serious James Bond complex and obviously thought that Cynthia should be like Money Penny and fawning all over him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, looking around to make sure no one was listening.

"The Director and Agent Gibbs are having a heated discussion and I did not want to listen" she replied.

Tony's smile got even bigger and he rubbed his hands together in glee.

"Argument? What about?" he asked.

"I said discussion not argument and I don't know because I wasn't listening."

"Well let me, I don't mind eavesdropping."

He said and pushed past her into her office and stood with his ear against the Directors door. He was practically jumping up and down on the spot.

"Ooooh, this is good, they are arguing about her stockings. Hmmm, the Director in stockings, now that is a sight I would pay to see."

He turned around to look at Cynthia and froze when he saw the look of horror on her face; he mentally readied himself for the slap of his life.

"DiNozzo! What in Gods name do you think you are doing?" The very angry voice of his boss made him stand up straight and look into the piercing blue eyes of Gibbs.

"I uh…lost my contact lens?" he tried, "OW…guess you know that I don't wear contacts, right boss?" he said, rubbing the back of his head.

Gibbs just stared.

"Right boss. Back to work, on it" he said as he practically ran back down stairs.

Cynthia tried to sit back at her desk without being noticed, it didn't work.

"Cynthia? Hold my calls, I will be in MTAC."

The Director swept out of the room. Gibbs again following closely.

"Just you hold on one minute, Director. We are not finished."

Jenny's reply was lost as they walked down the corridor.

Jenny was furious; she had managed to lock Jethro out of MTAC, which gave her some glee, but still not enough to abate her anger. How _dare _he tell her what to wear, it was not like they were married. Her thumb absentmindedly rubbed the base of her ring finger. Married? To Jethro? For Gods sake Jennifer, get a hold of yourself, you know how well that would go.

She sat alone in the quiet, dark room, having managed to send everyone out for the moment.

What she didn't know was that Gibbs had snuck in and was sitting in the back.

"Jen" his deep voice startled her.

"What do you want Jethro?" She sounded tired.

"To tell you that I like the stockings you are wearing today." He grinned at her.

"Even though you made such a fuss about them this earlier?" She asked, trying her hardest to stay angry at him, he was not going to weasel his way out of this one by being charming.

"I only made a fuss because I didn't want anyone else looking at you in the way that only I am allowed to look at you." He had made his way down to her and his hands were resting on her hips. She finally gave into him and wound her arms around his neck.

"Good," she said, "Because I wore them for you. God, this reminds me of Paris when you got so mad that I went to dinner with no underwear on."

She chuckled lightly.

"I remember" he said.

"_Honestly Jen, you can't do that to me, I nearly had a heart attack and blew our cover."_

"_Well Jethro, you shouldn't have put your hand up my skirt at the dinner table, we were in polite company, you know?" She tried to twirl away out of his grasp but his fingers closed around the black silk of her dress and pulled her to him. _

"_At least warn me when you are going to do it next so I can fantasize about it when the conversation gets boring." He said as his lips found their way to her ear lobe._

_The argument of the evening quickly forgotten as his hands lifted her silk dress over her head and it lay crumpled on the floor._

Back down in the bullpen Tony was still rubbing his head.

"It wasn't like I was _actually_ doing anything wrong" he complained, "I mean, it was really hard _not_ to hear them. Also, who wouldn't fantasize about the Director in stockings?! Right Probie?" he asked, looking at McGee hopefully.

"Well, I think it kinda demeans her as a woman, Tony." McGee replied.

"Oh, well who asked you anyway, McLoser?" Tony sulked.

"You did Tony." Ziva helpfully added.

She was rewarded with a glare that could kill from her partner.

"You know, for once Zee-Vah I would like you to be on my side, because you would have been listening too if you had been there."

"No I wouldn't" she replied, "Because people who attic-drop never hear good things about themselves, no?"

"It's _eavesdrop_ Zee-Vah, and I wasn't, I just happened to over hear, that's all."

Tony got up and stalked over to Gibbs desk.

"Since he is probably going to be ages in MTAC "making up" with Jenny, I guess he won't mind if I have some of this."

He daringly picked up Gibbs coffee which sat forgotten on his desk.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Tony, that coffee belongs to Gibbs."

Abby had appeared from her lab and stood with her hands on her hips, "Where is he anyway?" she asked.

"In MTAC with the Director…and no one else…" Tony said suggestively and once again he froze as the rest of the team's eyes widened in a strange mixture of horror and amusement.

He flinched as a hand came in connection for his head for the second time that day.

"Wow, twice already and it is only 9.15am, that has got to be a record Tony."

"You be catching him up Ziva if you don't get back to work." Gibbs growled. "You too, McGee."

"What?...I didn't...yes Boss." Tim spluttered.

"Sometimes it is best just to agree with him Timmy." Abby added helpfully. She skipped over to Gibbs and kissed him on the cheek.

"Good works Abs." Gibbs said fondly to her and she turned and bounded back to the elevators.

"That is so unfair," Whispered Tony to Ziva, "She gets 'good works Abs' and she didn't even do anything, and what do I get? A brain aneurism if this keeps up."

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted, causing a few passersby to stop and stare.

"Right boss, back to work, sorry boss."

Gibbs smiled and took a sip of his coffee.

It had turned out to be quite a good morning.


	9. Nylon dreams

**Title: **Nylon Dreams

**Author: **elflordsmistress

**Author's note:** Bold type in the main story is a flashback.

------------------------------------------------

"What've you got for me Abs?" Gibbs asked, as he and Tony walked into her lab.

They stopped dead in their tracks.

"McGee?"

The young agent practically jumped out of his skin.

Abby snorted and it earned her an underhand slap.

"Tell me this has something to do with the case, Abs" said Gibbs, giving Tim a strange look.

"It does indeed, Gibbso. Our dead marine had a fetish. McGee here has been helping me test a theory."

"So there's a reason you're ..."

"Impersonating a condom?" Tony supplied.

Tim tore two stockings from his head.

"Double bagging, probie. Impressive."

McGee ignored him and indicated the large screen that dominated the wall.

"For the past six months Ensign Dunn has been a member of 'Dips and Dangles'" he began.

"A website for stunning women over forty with a love of nylon" Tony read out loud from the website's homepage. "Fresh and original videos with hot footsie action and live shoe play sessions. Dipping and dangling for the discerning man. And woman. You practising to go undercover, McGee?"

He tried to repress laughter.

And failed.

"Very funny, Tony."

"I wish the same could be said about the way our ensign died" said Ducky as he walked into the room.

"Cause of death, Duck?" asked Gibbs.

"Asphyxiation. Have you analysed the swabs Abigail?"

"I have Ducky. As anticipated, there were traces of nylon fibres inside the oral and nasal cavities."

"Death by nylon" shuddered Tony.

"It says 'bonus content' here" Gibbs said, indicating smaller print.

"Saving the best for last. That ..." said Abby dramatically as she clicked on the link "is the road to fetishist heaven. For people who like that sort of thing" she added hastily.

"Today, Abs ..."

"Three links" she continued. "One to a literotica site. Stories featuring ... you know ... sex and stockings and ... "

"I know what that is ... Abs."

"You do?"

Her eyes lit up with curiosity.

The look on Gibbs' face stopped her.

"Moving on ... a link to an amateur Danish website that is devoted to bondage and SM. Personal photo galleries. Updated weekly. 21,000 hits."

"A month?" asked Tony.

"A day."

"Wow."

"What's the other link Abby?" asked Gibbs, his patience waning.

"Login page. Platinum members only. Live chat with passionate danglers and dippers."

"Our ensign a member?"

"Oh yeah. McGee managed to hack into their logs."

"Some kinky stuff going on there boss."

"Have you been able to make any connections?" asked Gibbs.

"We have. Dunn had several live chats with someone called 'nylon motherlode', who seems to have had contact with three other marines over the past four months. Two of them are currently deployed in Iraq. Same unit. The other one died in a car crash last month."

"We dealing with a woman here, McGee?"

"Not sure, Boss. In cyberspace nobody knows you're a dog. Right, Tony?"

Tony shuddered at the memory.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you, McGee?"

"I did" the latter replied, turning back to the screen with a smile.

"Any employment opportunities here Abs?"

"No. But they are always looking for women to bare their legs. They offer training. We could try and get in that way."

"You or Ziva up for it?" Gibbs asked.

"That might be a problem."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows at McGee in question.

He pointed at the screen.

"Women over forty boss."

"Get me those marines' CO. I'll be in MTAC. Good work."

He gave the table two taps and left the lab, a smile on his face.

Tony watched his retreating form.

"Does the Director wear stockings?" he asked Ducky.

Ducky's mind did an immediate recall.

Of an evening aboard a small boat in the English Channel.

_**He'd been sitting on the deck looking up at the stars when he heard the swat.**_

"_**That tickles!" **_

"_**Suck it up!"**_

"_**I don't have to suck it up. I'm not a marine."**_

"_**Come on Jen ... it's been too long."**_

"_**It's been less than two days." **_

"_**That's long." **_

"_**It's only another hour or so till we reach land."**_

"_**I can't wait, Jen" he stated in the voice of a man who was having trouble restraining himself.**_

"_**We'll wake Ducky" she hissed. **_

_**But he could tell she was teasing.**_

"_**I know you're wearing them. It's been driving me crazy since we left. Now show me!"**_

"Ducky!"

Tony broke into his little trip down memory lane.

"Does the Director wear stockings?" he repeated.

The medical examiner looked at him.

"I really couldn't say" he said with a smile.

Upstairs, Gibbs bumped into Cynthia as she came out of MTAC.

He placed his coffee cup unceremoniously into her hands.

"I need a refill" he said as he bypassed her and went inside.

Cynthia just stared at the closing door, before shaking her head and walking off.

Jennifer Shepard was standing in front of the screen. In conference with the Secretary of the Navy.

He settled into a seat and waited.

"Something on your mind, Jethro?" she asked when the conference was over.

"Waiting for McGee to patch a live feed through from Iraq" he said simply.

"I see" she said disarmingly as she dropped into the seat next to him. "Except that doesn't explain why you've been staring at my legs for the past twenty minutes."

Gibbs' eyes smiled as inclined his head briefly.

"We got a lead on the Dunn case" he said.

"And?"

Gibbs didn't answer.

"Jethro?"

"We're potentially looking for a woman over forty."

"And how did you come by this information?" she asked.

"Website."

"What kind of website?" she pushed.

More interested in what he wasn't saying.

"Website for women over forty that are experienced ... nylon users."

It took her a second to connect the dots.

"Stockings ..." she said with a mischievous smile.

"Mmhmmm" he said, looking everywhere but at her.

She leaned close enough to him so that her hair brushed his face and her perfume wreaked havoc on his senses.

"And you came here to ask me if ..."

She saw his fingers fidget.

"You know what I want to know" he said, his voice little more than a ragged whisper.

"It still turns you on, doesn't it?" she said with a small laugh.

"Uh-huh" he admitted, trying very hard to keep his eyes off her legs.

"Well, Agent Gibbs" she said, standing up. "That ... is need to know."

He came to stand behind her.

"I take it you mean for you to know and me to find out, Director?"

She smiled at him in a way that made him tighten immediately.

"I can live with that" he said.

A few minutes later Tony came up the stairs to find Cynthia outside MTAC looking decidedly annoyed.

"That coffee belongs to Gibbs" he observed.

Cynthia shot him a less than amused look.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I can't get in. Something's wrong with the retinal access system" she said, putting her eye to the scanner again.

Tony looked at the door thoughtfully, and then then took her gently by the arm and led her away.

"I know you're not over forty, Cynthia, but we might need your help. Do you, by any chance, wear stockings?"


End file.
